Juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Ensenada,
© EFE/PROFEPAAn official with the Profepa federal environmental protection agency inspects the carcass of a juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed up on a beach north of Ensenada, a resort city in the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016.
Inspectors examined the carcass of a whale that washed up on a beach north of Ensenada, a resort city in the northwestern state of Baja California, Mexico's Profepa federal environmental protection agency said.

The dead marine mammal was a juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), a protected species in Mexico.

Profepa inspectors examined the whale's carcass and determined that fishing nets and human activities did not cause the whale's death.

The inspectors were unable to obtain tissue samples due to the animal's advanced state of decomposition, making it difficult to determine the reason why the whale beached itself and died.

Officials decided to leave the carcass on the beach due to the heavy surf and strong winds in the area, the environmental protection agency said.

Humpback whales, which can grow to 17 meters (55 feet) and weigh around 45 tons, live in all of the world's oceans.

The marine mammals spend the months of November to May in the Pacific off Mexico, drawing large numbers of ecotourists to coastal resorts.

Source: EFE